


'til the day we die

by Wayfarer_Rye



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Absent Parents, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Angst, Bad Parenting, Best Friends, Family Secrets, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, POV Third Person, Romance, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-11 11:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17445647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wayfarer_Rye/pseuds/Wayfarer_Rye
Summary: There are secrets that only they know.There are promises that were made by others that they will have to learn to navigate.There are scarier things than shadows and exams in their future."I am sorry, Tetsuya"'On anyone else, it would have been beautiful'"I am the one dragging you down."





	1. Kiku

**Author's Note:**

> It hurt to write this first chapter because it may not give you, the reader, everything, but as the writer, I know the future and past and this chapter hurt because it was opening the photo album, and all the pain was renewed, and it was like being a seer and feeling all the pain that was to come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you break a promise, if the person you promised doesn't want you too?
>
>> We were best friends 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> White Chrysanthemum - purity, grief, and truth, and are used for funerals  
> Reading Time: 3:45 - 4:15  
> Word Count: 1043

It was only a glimpse, but it had Daiki fumbling the basketball sending it across the outside court into the chain link fence.

“Aominicchi?!” Kise asked straightening up in front of him. He ignored him and Kagami as he stalked towards the confused Kuroko, hoping it was a trick of the light.

“Aomine-kun?” Tetsu asked quietly, as Daiki stepped into his personal bubble.

“Tetsu,” He murmured, he was sure Tetsu heard all his unvoiced questions.

I am okay to play basketball,” Tetsu looked up trying to reassure him. If only that was the problem, Daiki thought to himself.

Needing to know for sure, Daiki grabbed the edge of Tetsu’s jersey which caused Tetsu to go ridged and other two to cry in surprise. He blocked Tetsu from sight. Then he only pulled it up enough for him to see a sliver of inked blackness that disappeared under the stark white bandages staring back at him. Then he dropped it and stared at the top of Tetsu’s head as Tetsu stared at his shoes.

He really was hoping it was a trick of the light.

“Please tell me it is not what I think it is,” Daiki asked, he could just hear the desperation that leaked into his voice.

Tetsu shrugged not meeting his eyes, “It’s not a big deal.”

Daiki closed his eyes at the confirmation, or as close as he was going to get with both of them aware of they were in public. He wanted to say it was a big deal, or say something about Tetsu’s age, or how it wasn’t supposed to be for years, but he knew Tetsu already thought this, so he held his tongue.

“You should have called me,” Daiki said tiredly when he opened his eyes again.

Tetsu smiled sadly, and shook his head, “You were finding your footing again, you didn’t need to deal with it on top of everything.”

Daiki gritted his teeth, “Still should have, I promised, and I already broke too many promises to you already.”

Tetsu gave a brittle smile that had him wrapping his arms around Tetsu. Tetsu all but collapsed and clutched his jersey. Daiki held on even when Tetsu started shaking. He hated Tetsu’s selflessness for not calling but he hated himself more for causing Tetsu to think he had to do this alone.

“What’s wrong, is Kurokoicchi sick?”

“What is going on?” Kagami demanded.

Before Daiki could tell them where they could go with their prying, he felt Tetsu shake his head, telling him to calm down.

He looked around, Kise and Kagami both looked worried and confused while Satsuki looked sad and horrified, but Daiki expected she put the pieces together the same as he did. He turned back to look down at Tetsu who at least stopped shaking.

Daiki sighing as he looked down at the top of Kuroko’s head.

“Come on, I’ll carry you,” Daiki muttered. Tetsu nodded and backed up while Daiki turned around and bent down as Tetsu climbed him. Tetsu held on almost too tight.

Ignoring the stares, Daiki sighed, “This isn’t the place for this. My place is closer.”

“I got your bags,” Satsuki called as she grabbed them. Nodding, he turned around and began walking. Satsuki jogged to catch up but didn’t try to strike up any sort of conversation, just kept pace.

He knew Kise and Kagami were following by the heavy stares he could feel poking him. He ignored the weird looks he and Tetsu got from bystanders, though the closer he got to his and Satsuki’s apartment complex the less weird looks and more fond ones as more recognized us.

“Kuroko-kun, overwork himself again?” Mrs. Kihara asked amused as we entered the building and she was leaving.

Daiki adjusted his hold on Tetsu and nodded, “Of course, it’s hard to get him to stop.”

Satsuki laughed and agreed “Pushed himself too much. I thought the rest of us could finish hanging out at home while Dai-chan mother henned Tetsu-kun” Satsuki gestured to our friends.

Tetsu grumbled but didn’t call them out on their lies.

Mrs. Kihara chuckled, “It will be nice to see Kuroko-kun around again, but I have to run Maya has a game tonight and I don’t want to miss it.”

Tetsu nudged him.

“Wish Maya good luck from Tetsu and I,” Daiki called after her as she left. She waved in acknowledgment.

“Come one we are on the third floor,” Daiki called over his shoulder as he bypassed the elevator towards the stairs.

“Dai-chan always takes the stairs, we only have the one elevator and he doesn’t want to use it in case one of the older tenants or mothers need it,” Satsuki explained softly.

Daiki normally would have snapped at her for telling them that, but he had bigger things to worry about.

When they reached the second level when another one of his neighbors stopped them. “Oh, good, you and Tetsu-kun have made up,” Ms. Doi sighed in relief when she caught sight of them, she carried a laundry basket in her  
Arms likely just came from the laundry room “Can you two watch Ren and Aki for me this Sunday for a couple hours?”

Tetsu looked over his shoulder, “It’s fine with me, I don’t have a practice that day.”

Daiki shrugged, “We will be there then.”

“Good,” Ms. Doi smiled, “the girls missed you.” With that, she turned around and walked toward her apartment.

“You know she going to tell everyone,” Tetsu chuckled.

“They all like you more than me,” Daiki grumbled good-naturedly as he continued up the flight of stairs.

Tetsu laughed softly.

“Were you here often Kurokoicchi?” Kise asked.

“Almost every other weekday and most weekends for about two years,”

“Ha, really?” Kagami blurted.

“Really,” Daiki didn’t need to see Kuroko’s face to know that he rolled his eyes.

When they reach his apartment, he set Tetsu down. Satsuki handed him his keys and he unlocked his apartment and walked in.

“Leave your bags off to the side, help yourself to the kitchen. Tetsu and I will be right back,” Daiki said as he directed Tetsu towards his room. He trusted Satsuki to wrangle the others giving Tetsu and him a couple minutes in private.


	2. Haibīsukasu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some questions are answered, but more arise.
>
>> A beautiful brand 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Informatics about the Chapter
> 
> Hibiscus - Gentle 
> 
> Reading Time: 3:00 - 4:30
> 
> Word Count: 1092

  
He closed his door and approached Tetsu who had sat on the edge of his bed staring at his hands that clenched his shorts.  He knew Tetsu was a flurry of emotions even if his face wasn’t showing it.    
  
Kneeling, Daiki placed a hand over Tetsu’s and said the thing he waited to say for a long time, “I am so fucking sorry, Tetsuya.”   
  
Tetsu’s head snapped up and they stared at each other for a moment, “What are you sorry for?”   
  
“For putting you in this situation, for not being there, for causing the fallout in the first place, I have a lot to be sorry for Tetsu,” Daiki murmured. He had messed up and Tetsu was the one that had to suffer the most it, as usual.    
  
“I am the one that didn’t tell you and you were surprised. It is not on your fault. And I forgave you ages ago about the rest,” Daiki felt a lump form in his throat at the swift reassurance Tetsu offered.   
  
He cleared his throat, “You are too kind, Tetsu.”   
  
Tetsu shook his head, “A lot of it wasn’t your fault.”   
  
He disagreed but he let it go, they could argue his guilt and Tetsu’s kindness later, instead, he asked quietly, “Can I see it?”    
  
Daiki needed to see the physical proof, the proof that he broken another promise, and left another thing for his best friend to handle alone.    
  
Tetsu nodded, looking like he too had a lump in his throat. Daiki squeezed Tetsu’s hand before backing up and allowing Tetsu to stand.   
  
Tetsu pulled off his shirt and set it behind him without turning around. He then unwound the bandages and set them to the side.   
  
Daiki didn’t rush him as much as he wanted to see, he just watched as Tetsu breathed several deep breaths. Mentally preparing himself, the same as Daiki was trying to do.    
  
When Tetsu turned around, Daiki felt his knees go weak all the mental preparation flew out the window, but he locked them in place as he took in the sight.    
  
Tattoos covered Tetsu’s back.   
  
A black panther was crawling up Tetsu’s spine as the centerpiece. The panther’s right foot partially disappeared under Tetsu’s shorts. Its head was turned growling covering his right shoulder.  The panther’s eyes were almost eerily luminance in blue.    
  
The remaining skin not covered by the panther was filled with detailed flowers. The flowers were mostly light blue peonies and red camellias but there were two roses, one white and the other pink.    
  
On anyone else, he would have called the panther and flowers beautiful, on Tetsu, it was like a brand, a painful reminder. Daiki couldn’t stop himself from reaching out like he hoped if he touched it would disappear and this would all be one long nightmare.  He ran a finger along the panther and it didn’t disappear. Tetsu shivered at the contact.    
  
“I got to choose the design,” Tetsu whispered.   
  
Daiki wished he was comforted by the fact at least in that Tetsu got a choice. It was a cold comfort, a poor consolation for the hours of pain it no doubt took to do and the dark significance of the fact he even had the tattoo.    
  
“You’re only sixteen,” Daiki croaked when he finally found his voice.   
  
“They took me to Vietnam the weekend after my birthday.”   
  
Daiki hissed silently as he turned Tetsu around and folded him into a hug, “No more doing this alone.”   
  
“How can I ask you to stay with me?” Tetsu asked quietly.   
  
“You never asked, I promised. Let me keep this promise,” Daiki begged as quiet.    
  
“I shouldn’t” Tetsu muttered.   
  
Daiki shook his head, “I already nearly lost my best friend once because of my stupid pride, I won’t lose you again even if with what I know that means.”   
  
“It’s too much, Aomine-kun,” Tetsu leaned back to stare at him in the eyes, “We can still be friends, you don’t have to know the details or be a part of it.”   
  
“I do, you can’t do this alone even if your parents seem eager to allow you too,” Daiki spat parents because Tetsu’s didn’t deserve the title, “You need someone protecting your back.”   
  
Tetsu stared at him, his eyes piercing him, likely looking for any sort doubt but Daiki had none, not about Tetsu. He had doubts about himself and whether he was worth the forgiveness Tetsu offered and the trust Tetsu so easily gave him. Not about being this though.    
  
“Everyone always expected you to be the bad influence, and yet I am the one dragging you into the illegalities of the world,” Tetsu said sardonically.    
  
He almost slumped in relief, Tetsu wasn’t going to try and be selfless. Not that Daiki wouldn’t have followed Tetsu anyway but it was one less thing to worry about.  He wasn’t naive to know that this won’t be the last time they argued about it, just like it wasn’t the first time. But for now, it was put to rest.    
  
Daiki wanted to tell Tetsu that he would be willing to walk into hell for him but now was not the time for the sentiment nor would Tetsu appreciated it, instead, he tightens his hug.   
  
“We should go before Kise-kun or Kagami-kun burst in here demanding answers,” Tetsu muttered.   
  
“What do you want to tell them?” he asked.    
  
Tetsu shrugged, “They will know if we lie, so the truth but I will offer them not to know the truth or the details if they want the truth.”   
  
Daiki nodded, that was a fair assessment of the two. Kagami may be dense but he had a good handle on being able to read Tetsu and Kise as dumb as he liked to play was scary good at spotting lies. Lying to them just wasn’t an option.    
  
He also doubted that Kise or Kagami would take the second option just like he and Satsuki didn’t. Tetsu was important to them too but he didn’t point that out. Tetsu likely already knew, and if he didn’t then nothing he said would convince him of that.    
  
With one last squeeze, he nodded and backed off as much as he didn’t want to let go.    
  
“You do what you have too, and I will go stall those two however long you need,” Daiki said with a nod.   
  
He turned to leave when he heard a quiet, he almost missed it with the noise of his steps, “Thank you Daiki.”   
  
“It is never a problem, Tetsuya,” Daiki said with a backward wave, leaving Tetsu alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Sakurasō

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit more
>
>> Be sure before you ask for more 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Informatics about the Chapter  
> Primrose - Desperate  
> Reading Time: 4:30 -5:00  
> Word Count:1233

 

Tetsuya dropped on to bed as Aomine-kun left. He pulled on his shirt, leaving the bandages off as they weren’t needed.

He dropped his head into hands, his breath shuddering, as the whole situation finally dawned on him. He had been living in a limbo state until this point but it was like showing Aomine-kun the tattoo made it real, made it all real. Which was probably one of the reasons why he tried to hide it and didn’t say anything to Aomine-kun. 

Tetsuya felt foolish ever thinking he could have hidden it from Aomine-kun in the first place. They may have drifted apart and may have even been fighting but Tetsuya should have known that Aomine-kun would have known. Aomine-kun was the person Tetsuya ran to when he found out. 

_ “They don’t even care…” _

Shaking the distant echoes of the conversation away, he closed his eyes and reigned in the discomfort of panic with measured breaths. 

When he finally was breathing easier again, he opened his eyes.

Catching sight of one of Aomine-kun’s hoodie thrown over his desk chair. It was one that Tetsuya  _ borrowed _ often before. Impulsively, he leaned across the bed and reached for it.  Slipping it on, he noticed he still drowned in it, even though he knows he has grown since the last wore it.  Instead of irritating him with the remainder of his lack of growth, it made him feel like he was back in time and it was comforting. It helped that Aomine-kun apparently wore the same cologne he did middle school. 

_ “I am going to wear only it from now on,” Aomine-kun declared with a wide smile as he held the bottle up to his nose.  _

_ “Why” Tetsuya confused why Aomine-kun would. They had barely gotten through all the cologne in the store.  _

_ “Because you picked it out,” Aomine-kun said pushing Tetsuya’s shoulder playfully. _

Tetsuya smiled at the memory of that particular shopping trip. 

With the happy memory in his mind, he decided it was time to face the questions. 

He walked out into the hallway, a thought crossed his mind. 

“Aomine-kun?” Tetsuya called, drawing the attention of the four. Kise-kun and Kagami-kun sat on the sofa. While Momoi-san had curled up on the large reclining chair, which was unspokenly her’s.  Aomine-kun was on the love seat that was faced away from him. 

Aomine-kun turned, and Tetsuya saw the fond headshake and smile when Aomine-kun caught sight of the hoodie, “Yeah?”

“Will your parents be home this evening?” He asked as he approached 

Aomine-kun shook his head, “Mom had a business weekend and her and dad decided to make it a couple holiday.” Tetsuya smiled at the disgusted look on Aomine-kun’s face when he said couple holiday, he knew it was mostly for show. 

He nodded and took a seat by Aomine-kun, he wrapped an arm around him and Tetsuya leaned into him, taking the silently support Aomine-kun was offering.

“Are you sick?” Kagami-kun blurted. Kagami’s face flushed red, as everyone stared at him for the outburst. 

Tetsuya offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile, “No, I am not.”

“Then what had Aominicchi fretting, were you hiding an injury Kurokicchi, I know I saw bandages, are you injured Kurokicchi,” Kise-kun demanded as his worry tumbled out in a single breath. 

“No, Kise-kun I am not injured either,” Tetsuya quickly reassured the blond before he got himself worked up. 

“Just let him talk,” Aomine-kun cut in when Kise-kun opened his mouth likely to ask more questions. 

“The bandages were not covering an injury,” deciding to rip it off like a bandaid, “they were covering tattoos.”

“Tattoos?!” Kise-kun sputtered. 

“How?” Kagami-kun stammered, “You’re sixteen.”

Sighing, Tetsuya turned in his seat, Aomine-kun moved out of the way as Tetsuya pulled up his shirt and hoodie a little way, giving the proof they need, before dropping it back and turning back around. Aomine-kun pulled him close again, and instead of wrapping an arm around him, grabbed his hand, rubbing circles on the back of it. 

“There are places in the world that do not restrict or regulate tattoo application, ” Tetsuya stated. 

_ “Stay still, don’t make us have to…”  _

“Why?” Kise-kun asked drawing him back to the present. 

Tetsuya breathed deeply, as he mentally shoved the memory behind a locked door. 

“To be clear, it’s was not my choice,” Tetsuya started, “There were circumstances that were forced upon me that lead to the tattoos.”

“What?!” Both Kise-kun and Kagami-kun cried. 

Ignoring them, “You must be aware to know more than this, is dangerous, and you can’t take back the knowledge,” Tetsuya warned. 

“You should be a hundred percent ready to keep everything Tetsu tells you a secret, because not only is it dangerous for you to know, it is dangerous for him to even tell you” Aomine-kun added firmly. 

Both Kise-kun and Kagami-kun shared wide-eyed looks of shock. Letting them think, the room turned quiet.

Tetsuya shared a look with Momoi-san who offered a sad reassuring smile, and Aomine-kun squeezed his hand. He half-hated himself for drawing the two of them into this without giving them the same option. 

“Stop that,” Aomine-kun muttered breaking the silence. Drawing the pensive Kise-kun and pained looking Kagami-kun attention to them. 

“What?” Tetsuya asked, even if he already guessed what Aomine-kun was going to say. 

“You’re feeling guilty about things that you shouldn’t be.  Giving me the option wouldn’t have changed anything, and I was the one that brought Satsuki into this,” Aomine scolded. 

Momoi-san rolled her eyes, “I have my own mind. I knew it was something dangerous when I badgered Dai-chan until he told me.”

“I just…” Tetsuya shrugged trailing off his sentence.  Aomine-kun sighed and squeezed his hand but didn’t press the issue. 

“Do you regret knowing?” Kise-kun asked turning to Momoi-san. 

She hummed thoughtfully, before shaking her head, “No. It made me sad, but I didn’t regret it.” 

“What about you, Aominicchi?” Kise-kun turned to Aomine-kun.

“Not for a second,” Aomine-kun replied back instantly, no hesitation. Tetsuya blinked a little thrown by the absolute surety in his voice, even if he already knew by Aomine-kun’s actions, hearing it was different.  Though Kise-kun nodded like he expected that. Even Kagami-kun didn’t look surprised. 

“Is it bad?” Kagami-kun asked Aomine-kun.

Aomine-kun nodded sharply, “it will make you angry.”

“I want to know,” Kagami-kun said looking determined. 

Kise-kun agreed, “I do as well.” 

“If you are sure,” Tetsuya sighed. Kise-kun and Kagami-kun nodded.  

Aomine-kun squeezed his hand, as Tetsuya started, “When I was young my family made promises and bargains with dangerous and unlawful people. They didn’t keep some of their bargains and broke more than a few promises,” he had to fight to keep his voice level and audible, as the feeling of horror rose up in him, “To appease those people, they offered me to the head of the organization they wronged.”

“They what?”Kagami-kun demanded as he leaned forward. Kise-kun had a white-knuckled grip on to Kagami-kun’s arm likely the only thing keeping in his seat. 

“Calm down, Kagami,” Aomine-kun ordered as he rubbed Tetsuya’s arm soothingly. Kagami-kun did sit back again but Kise-kun didn’t let go.

“They promised my servitude for when I was older,” Tetsuya spelled out quietly.  

_ “You sold me!” _

“They sold you,” Kise murmured horrified.  Tetsuya flinched as Kise echoed his own accusation. 

“Traded me for their own lives, but yes they did.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is everyone thinking?

**Author's Note:**

> .
> 
> I can't seem to stop the flow of ideas. 
> 
> Got some inspiration from a picture on Pinterest (which is sort of spoiler-y so sorry to the discord group for that)
> 
> I am even creating a soundtrack for this story (Will post when it is completed)
> 
> Also, all the chapter title will be flowers that correspond with Hanakotoba (Japanese Flower Language)


End file.
